This is really WAY WRONG for people to tell everyone as a WHOLE to not install the nForce SATA drivers. I've been into computing for many years. I am far from being a newbie and there is one fact I know in computing, that each and everyones hardware configuration will give the end user different results.
With this in mind each person must experiement for themselves what works best, unless there is some proven fact without a doubt across a wide range of platforms, hardware, etc.. that the software/firmware is dangerous, then yes, this is a different story. With the nForce drivers being this way, it is far from the truth.
Without the nForce IDE drivers installed you will loose a very big CHUNK of performance and I do mean a BIG CHUNK. How about in the area of around 25%, I'll call it that and I'll give you a example that I tested and you can see if your performance loss was as big as mine. This is the whole point of these drivers to bring compatibility and performance to the system and if you are not getting it then this is a problem. So what do we do blame the software or blame the hardware, personally I see more people always leaning towards putting blame on software/firmware/drivers, etc...
But one thing is true there is no perfect anything out there. But the better you get at building the better chances you'll have to start making that box trouble free.
One thing to remember here is NOTHING is perfect, so stop blaming everything and everyone and start trying to figure a way to make it work, because of the majority it does and if you are the minority then you have to start looking at why.
Here are the specs on the test machine:
---------------------------------------------
AMD X2 3800+
OCZ OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Platinum
2 evga 7800 GT CO 256-P2-N516-AX Nvidia
WD Raptor 150 (ADFD)
XP Pro/SP2
Antec Neo HE 550W PSU
------------------------------------------------
I used Winrar to unrar a 4.6GB ISO. With the Windows IDE drivers I ran this and the time for this was 10mins. Now wait a sec, 10 mins on these system specs? Yes that's correct, is your hardware ok, yes, it's in perfect working order. Plus all the while this was going on the Raptor was making some pretty bad grinding sounds like it was really working for this. Given these system specs you'd think that is very odd and it is, truth is my nForce4 system did not like running on Windows's IDE drivers.
Now with the latest nForce AMD drivers 6.70 and with the same 4.6GB ISO the speed increase went to a WHOPPING 2min 30secs, and the drive hardly, this time was making any noise.
Now if you don't think this was a major increase, then I'm not sure what you would consider. This actually happens to be a very worthy way in which to test your systems speed using a very large file to Unrar/Unzip with.
Now you might think who is this clown, well this clown is as good as anyone out there, professionally speaking in the industry to tell you it is a FACT that using the nForce drivers will give you a MAJOR boost in performance. Just play around with a few versions to find one that works for you and if none of them do, then you really need to look at your hardware and ask, WHY?
The facts are that maybe this rig that you think is all to perfect is not and that there is possibly something wrong with it. Lets REMEMBER one thing, let's not go around making false claims over something like nForce firmware, making it out as a evil for all, because this is just down right not true.
And if you never seem to get something like this ever working correct for you, then that motherboard from that particular manufacturer that you seem loyal to, I would start beginning to question and next time look to another board for your next build.
The actual truth is, there are so many board makers out there, that on the overall are not that good, but do ok with a few models they produce. And I find now for many people that it is hard for them to really truly tell.
If you are one of them out there, that gets blue screens of death, system lockups, crashes playing games and crashes in general and freezing, video screen goes nuts, etc.. etc.. and on and on, then don't keep blaming the programs, or software. Chances are you have a overclocked unstable system, or for those that just run stock, then you just have flaky hardware, especially if you experience this often, or from time to time, when the truth is you should never be experiencing this at all, or ever.
Just to give you a idea of what I'm talking here. I have run Windows since 1986 and in that time, I can just about count all my problems, because that is how few they have been.
In 20 years I have probably only had a little over 12-20 problems like this. Why because you have to know your system and hardware and how to make it run properly.
Learn to really know who makes great hardware and who doesn't and in time you too can run smooth and trouble free. And if you think you know it all, guess again you don't and neither do I, but I know enough to tell you what I am right now over this matter and that it is correct!
Remember we never stop learning and if that system of yours just doesn't seem to run as nice as everyone elses, then start looking to some other motherboard and hardware next time you build again.
ALOHA